In 2007, there was an alternate thread that calculated the percentage of ITILers that were eventually upgraded. I was curious about this year's numbers all around, so I used enrique_suave's original list and added any extra names I came across in the 2008 application/acceptance/upgrade threads to come up with this year's shortlisted and upgraded percentages. (The stats are at the bottom of the post.) I'm not sure how accurate the numbers are in the big scheme of things, but one thing is clear: people who know about/bother to post on ITIL seem to have a pretty high rate of success.

The numbers in parentheses represent (number of successful applicants/number of total applicants) for each group. Also, anyone who was shortlisted at any point is counted as a success, even if they ended up declining the position.

Alternates and Upgrades (the 2008 upgrades thread)
Number of 2008 ITIL JET Alternates: 67
(3 declined alternate position, but are counted in final totals)
Number of 2008 ITIL JET Alternates Upgraded: 49
Total Percentage Upgraded in 2008: 49/67 = 73.1%
(In 2007, this number was 64.5%, which is probably a little more realistic. Still, pretty encouraging.)

According to JET, I still have up to the second week of december, though i'm not going to hold my breath. I've already applied for some local jobs that pay well. Not sure what I'll do if they decide to upgrade me after I've moved on.
Besides be upset.

Yeah same thing happened in Denver at our PDO, someone jumped ship the night before our departure and left a note under the door of our program coordinator. So if youre from Denver there is a spot open!

"...it was like nothing I'd ever seen. I mean he didn't stand a chance. Against that kind of post count? Those kind of numbers command respect. They beat those with lower post counts into weeping submission. Fuck David and Goliath, watching it go down was honestly scary. It was like watching a 7 foot body builder walk into a maternity ward with a nuclear bomb strapped to his chest..."

Wow! I can't believe they just backed out at the worst possible moment! This is supposed to be the exciting and fun part. Too bad. I wonder if anyone from the Chicago consulate did the same? I wouldn't know since I got to the airport on my own and much MUCH earlier than the rest of the people staying at the hotel the night before.